14

But what is wrong with carrying a mirror? (1) It is human nature to appreciate one's own likeness, whether seen in one's children or in honorific portrait statues (2-3). Indeed, the likeness in a mirror is in many ways superior to those produced in clay, stone, or painting (4-8). 

(1)

Cedo nunc: "tell me now,"  LS cedo2 II.A.

et: "also."

īnspexisse: supply the mirror in question as the direct object.

imāginem suam: "one's own image."

eam: supply imāginem, direct object of gestāre.

condītam: "put away," "hidden away," OLD condō 7.

quōquō: supply locō: "in whatever place," "wherever."

prōmptam: "ready at hand."

(2)

aspectabilius: neuter singular comparative adjective used as a substantive: "a more enjoyable sight" (Jones).

hominī nātō: "to one born human."

Equidem … tribuī: 

clausulated text

Equidem sciō 

et fīliōrum cāriōrēs esse 

(eōs) quī similēs videntur,

et pūblicitus simulācrum suum …  tribuī

cuique, 

quod videat, 

praemiō

prō meritīs.

fīliōrum cāriōrēs: "the more beloved of sons."

esse quī: supply eōs, “are (those) who."

similēs: "similar," in appearance to their fathers.

pūblicitus: adv.,"in public life."

cuique: dative with tribuī, "(is allotted) to each person."

quod videat: "which he can look at" = "so he can look at it.” The relative clause of purpose sounds a bit forced here, but Apuleius is making the point that the reward is not just having a statue of oneself put in public for others to admire, but actually being able to see one's own image. The argument, then, can proceed that if being able to look at oneself is a reward in and of itself for valor, to be enjoyed by the state's most courageous citizens, then the act of looking at an image of oneself, as in a mirror, cannot be wholly an effeminate act.

praemiō: dative of purpose (AG 382), "as a reward." 

(3)

variīs artibus: "in various media."

quid ... sibi ... volunt: "What is the purpose of," LS volo I.E.4.b.γ.

Nisi forte: "Unless perhaps," an ironic beginning indicating that what follows is obviously incorrect in Apuleius' view.

quod ... hoc: "(something) which ... this (same thing)."

ēlabōrātum ... oblātum: modifying (id) quod and hoc, respectively, and used with circumstantial force: "when it has been crafted ... when it has been presented."

habētur: "is considered."

cum sit: "and yet ... is," a concessive cum clause indicating what Apuleius believes actually is the case. Subjects: et facilitās et similitūdō.

eā: naturā.

vel magis: "even more."

facilitās: "the ease (with which the image is produced)," "quickness" (Jones).

similitūdō: "the likeness (of the naturally produced image to that from which the likeness is taken)," "accuracy" (Jones).

(4)

manū faciundīs: "that must be made by hand."

opera: "exertion,” nominative singular subject of sūmitur.

aequē ut: adverbial, modifying compāret, "as well as," LS aequē, at the end of entry for aequus, 1.ζ.

(5)

rigor: "relief" (Jones), that is, two-dimensional art lacks the depth perceptible in a mirror or in three-dimensional portraits.

quī: mōtus.

in eō: in speculō.

mīrē: "in a strange way"; see mīrīs modīs used with ghostly "apparition" words: simulācra modīs pallentia mīrīs (Luc 1.123), Georgics 1.477, and Ipsa sed in somnīs inhumātī vēnit imāgō / coniugis, ōra modīs attollēns pallida mīrīs (Aen 1.353-354).

relāta: "reflected."

ut … ita: "as ... as it is ...."

similis: "similar (to the person looking in the mirror)," "lifelike."

mōrigera: "compliant to" + ad + acc.

eadem semper ... est: "(though it is) the same (image), it is always."

(6)

aequaeva: "equal in age to," + dat. As the description continues, the pathos increases; now the image is described as a lifetime's companion. This positive idea obscures the rather misleading comparison of works of art and mirrors (Hunink).

ab ineunte pueritiā: "from the beginning of childhood," "from early childhood."

obeuntem: "fading," "dying" (LS obeo I.B.2).

vultūs: "expressions."

eiusdem laetantis vel dolentis: "of the same person, whether he is happy or sad."

(7)

īnfūsum: the normal verb to express casting in metal is simply fundere. Here, however, the compound īnfūsum is used for the sake of alliteration, being followed by incussum, inustum, inlitum (B/O).

incusum: "hammered out," "fabricated," > incudo, a correction for the manuscripts' incussum > incutio, which would mean "struck." 

inustum: "burned on" (> inuro) via the encaustic or hot wax method of painting, described more fully by Pliny (Natural History 35.49.1) as cērae tinguntur īsdem hīs colōribus ad eās pictūrās, quae inūruntur, "wax is stained with these same colors for paintings which are burned on."

nōn multā: i.e., parvā.

redditur: "is rendered," "becomes."

ūnum ... et immōbilem: "a single and motionless."

(8)

Tantum … opifex: word order: tantum illa fabra lēvitās et opifex splendor speculī praestat artibus imāginis ad similitūdinem referundum.

praestat: "surpasses" + dat. Subjects: lēvitās, splendor.

imāginis artibus: "the arts of portraiture" (Jones).

lēvitās illa ... fabra: "that well-known (LS ille II.A), artful smoothness." Distinguish lēvitās, "smoothness" from levitās, "lightness, triviality." 

splendor opifex: "creative brilliance" (Jones).